Great-West Life Therapists in Côte-des-Neiges, Montréal, QC

People seek help for specific reasons such as eating disorders, psycho-somatic conditions, obsessional behaviour, or phobic anxieties. At other times help is sought because of more general underlying feelings of depression or anxiety, difficulties in concentrating, dissatisfaction in work or inability to form satisfactory relationships. We believe in a mind-body connection so that improvements in psychological well-being translate into physical vitality. The benefits of our psychotherapy and counselling work include self-insight, inner fulfillment, raised self-esteem, a positive outlook and improved relationships.

I am a registered Psychologist with 25 years experience and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis in Montreal. I see late adolescents and adults for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis for personal problems ranging from anxiety and depression to personal identity and other emotional difficulties. I am currently Director of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Teaching for the MUHC where I have taught and supervised psychiatric residents and psychology interns for over 20 years. I teach and supervise Candidates at the Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis and have published in the areas of Psychoanalytic Identity and Countertransference.

I practice a specialized form of therapy culled from the best of available dynamic modalities with the clear objective of getting to the source of a person's problem. It is applicable to a wide range of mental health disturbances such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, chronic pain, unexplained medical symptoms and/or problems with loss, emotions, relationships, assertion, self-esteem and self-defeat.

I follow with my client the main steps and events of his life story ( including if it, s the case immigration story), the mournings in waiting or which are difficult to do, the psychotraumatic sequellae which deteriorate his life day by day. With my client I notice his main reactions and how he is managing his personal and social life. I suggest to my client to identify the changes he wants to bring in his life and I try to show him how he could succeed in and how I can help him to succeed.

The heart of great therapy starts with creating a sense of safety and comfort - and being offered the opportunity to express, understand and gain mastery over one's thoughts, feelings and behavior. There is genuine respect for the person's or couple's inherent strengths and capacities to engage in a process of change and growth. A mutual, clear understanding of the difficulties and challenges as well as the motivations, goals and expectations of the client guides the development and achievement of realistic, coherent and obtainable treatment goals - as well as greater functionality, well-being, performance and emotional stamina.

I am a fully bilingual clinical psychologist/psychotherapist with 28 years of rich and varied clinical experience within medical settings and mental health services in the UK and France. I provide a wide range of psychological interventions always tailored to a patient's needs. I help patients get their life back on track as I care deeply about their psychological and physical wellbeing. Having a highly sensitive temperament myself, I offer help to those who have identified themselves as highly sensitive and as a result, face issues that are difficult to deal with. My approach, while primarily psychodynamic, includes EMDR, cognitive strategies, schema therapy, mindfulness.

I offer brain balancing techniques for adults and children dealing with burnout, brain fog, and memory and focus issues . I also see clients dealing with mental health conditions when they are under the care of a psychologist or counsellor.